TENNIS in DEPTH.

Second-seeded Dane Caroline Wozniacki clawed her way into the third round of the WTA hardcourt tournament here Friday with a 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 victory over American Vania King.

Wozniacki, ranked fourth in the world and a finalist at last year’s US Open, trailed 1-4 in the third set but managed to fight back against the 76th-ranked King with breaks in the seventh and ninth games.

“I just kept fighting for every point,” Wozniacki said after the victory in 2hrs 28min. “Vania was playing really, really good. I’m just glad I came through.”

Like all 32 seeded players, 19-year-old Wozniacki enjoyed a first-round bye.

In the third round she’ll face either 32nd-seeded Maria Kirilenko of Russia or unseeded Frenchwoman Virginie Razzano.

Russian Elena Dementieva, the No. 5 seed and 2006 finalist, was also extended to three sets in her opener Friday but capped the match with a display of dominance. She limited Belarusian Olga Govortsova to just two points on serve in the third set as she sealed a 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 victory.

Fifth seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland had an easier time to start her 2010 BNP Paribas Open campaign, hodling a 6-2, 5-3 lead against Russian Anna Chakvedtadze when her opponent retired from the match.

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• Dementieva loses, Petrova retires, only Wozniacki remains!

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 Alisa Kleybanova fired a barrage of powerful baseline shots and aces to clinch the crown over compatriot Elena Dementieva in the final of the Malaysian Open on Sunday.

The 21-year-old Kleybanova dominated the match in humid conditions and won 6-3, 6-2 in just over 100 minutes.

Fourth seed Kleybanova pressured first seed Dementieva into making unforced errors to gain her first WTA title, for which she pockets 37,000 dollars.

Kleybanova was intelligent with her serves, setting up easy forehand hits to win points.

“Yes, I am definitely happy to win the tournament. It has been a tough week for me,” she said.

The match was suspended in the first set for 95 minutes due to rain.

On resumption, Kleybanova continued to play an aggressive game and stayed with the rallies, unintimidated by 28-year-old seventh-ranked Dementieva’s booming baseline shots.

Dementieva pushed Kleybanova out of the court on many occasions but Kleybanova’s deep baseline volleys and precision returns won her points.

Both players fought hard but Kleybanova outclassed Dementieva in all aspects of the game and scored four aces.

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Elena Dementieva marched into the semi-finals of the Malaysian Open with a straight-sets victory over Magdalena Rybarikova in Kuala Lumpur.

The number-one seeded Russian overran her Slovakian opponent during the opening set, taking it 6-0.

And the world number seven then won the second 6-3 to progress in little over an hour.

She will now face sixth-seed Sybille Bammer after the German secured a 3-6 6-3 6-3 success against Taiwan’s Kai-Chen Chang.

Fourth seed Alisa Kleybanova was forced to recover from a set down to secure her place in the last four.

Kleybanova lost the first set 4-6 to Australia’s Anastasia Rodionova but recovered to claim a 4-6 6-3 6-4 victory.

The Russian will now meet Japan’s Ayumi Morita after she defeated South Africa’s Chanelle Scheepers 6-3 7-5.

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Top seed Elena Dementieva moved into the third round of the Malaysia Classic with a straightforward win over Serbia’s Bojana Jovanovski.

The Russian had little trouble getting past Jovanovski in Kuala Lumpur, wrapping up an easy 6-2 6-3 win with the minimum of fuss.

Also on Wednesday fourth-seed Alisa Kleybanova defeated fellow Russian Alla Kudryavtseva 6-7(4) 6-3 6-4 after recovering from a rocky first set.

Japan’s Ayumi Morita beat Chinese wild card Yan Zi while Anastasia Rodionova beat Ekaterina Ivanova 6-2 6-2.

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• Kleybanova wins her first WTA title.
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• Looks like an all Russian final coming up in Malaysia.

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Top-seeded Elena Dementieva recovered from a set down to beat Lucie Safarova 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-4 in the final of the Open GDF Suez on Sunday.

It was the second victory of the season for the world’s No. 7-ranked player, who won earlier this year in Sydney. Dementieva finished off her 16th professional title in 2 hours, 17 minutes.

“I’m just so happy,” said Dementieva, the 2008 Olympic champion. “It was probably one of the most difficult wins in my life.”

The 28-year-old Dementieva, who played three consecutive three set matches in Paris, said her pugnacity allowed her to win the title.

“In a match, there is no time to think negative,” she said. “You have to fight.”

The 46th-ranked Safarova, who played with her right thigh strapped, immediately broke her Russian rival and led 3-0. Dementieva recovered to even the set 3-3 and eventually went to a tiebreaker, where Safarova converted her second set point with a forehand winner down the line.

Dementieva, who lost to Amelie Mauresmo in last year’s final, broke in the second game of the second set when Safarova sent a forehand into the net. Dementieva extended her lead to 5-1 when the Czech player missed a forehand after sprinting to the net to retrieve a drop shot and closed out the set on her next service game.

In the final set, Dementieva made the decisive break in the seventh game and clinched victory on her fourth match point when Safarova buried a backhand in the net.

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Lucie Safarova of Czech Republic rallied to beat second-seeded Flavia Pennetta of Italy 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Saturday and reach the final of the Open GDF Suez.

Safarova will face top-seeded Elena Dementieva of Russia who came from behind to defeat the young American, Melanie Oudin in three sets.

Safarova lost her first set of the tournament but went on to post her second win in as many matches against Pennetta.

Pennetta saved two break points early in the first set and broke serve for a 4-3 lead, and then held with an ace. Safarova saved one set point in the next game before Pennetta took the set in 37 minutes with her fifth ace of the match.

Both players traded serves twice early in the second set before Safarova went up 4-2 with another break and extended her lead to 5-2 before winning the set.

Safarova converted her only break point of the third in the ninth game and held serve to close out the match.

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Melanie’s magical moment’s gain momentum as she moves into the semi final with a come-from-behind win over Hungarian Agnes Szavay 2-6, 6-4, 6-2. It looked as though she had left her ‘A’ game back in her hotel room as Szavay roared into a 5-1 lead in the first set. Nothing was working for Oudin as she frantically called for her Dad to come to her rescue. I have no idea what he said to her, whether he offered some tactical insight into Szavay’s game or whether he jusr gave his daughter some reassurance. Whatever it was, it worked. From being down a set and at 0-2 in the second set, the young American never looked back.

She will meet Elena Dementieva in the semi final, and with the confidence she is enjoying it will be anyone’s game.

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• Melanie Oudin upsets Dementieva while Safina struggles again.

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